The Curse Of Curves
by Jericca89
Summary: "I've got a gift for one liners/and you've got the curse of curves." Diana Prince is starting her senior year as a new transfer student at Gotham High. Homesick for her old school of Themyscira and unable to fit in she falls for Bruce Wayne, the school's resident loner. No powers, just high school angst and fluff. High School WonderBat AU. Rating M just in case.
1. Chapter 1-First Class

First day of senior year.

The air smells crisp to my nose, I can sense the change in the wind. I feel miserable and say as much to my mother.

"Diana, that is no way for a diplomat's daughter to behave! We accept new adventures gratefully and create our own path."

"Whatever, Mom. I wish I was back at home. I hate this place. I don't know anyone and it's cold and miserable." I know I'm whining but I can't bring myself to care.

She touches my cheek softly.

"I'm sorry my darling. But consider Gotham a new adventure. A fresh start. It will help you be less homesick for Themyscira." She kisses the top of my head and pushes me toward the front of the school.

Hera, I don't want to be here. The other students mill around me, shouting to their friends. I make my way towards the office. Inside I introduce myself to the secretary, a chubby lady by the name of Miss Candy.

"You must be the new girl, Denna Prince?" She has a bubbly voice, putting me at ease for now.

"It's Diana. But yes that's me. I'm here to pick up my schedule?"

"Oh yes, I'm sure you are. Now it's around here somewhere..." I watch as she shuffles through a mass of papers on her desk. For a secretary Miss Candy is rather unorganized. I hear the small ting of a bell as the office door opens behind me.

"Miss Candy?" a deep accented voice says behind me. "I brought Master Bruce to pick up his schedule. I'd rather he not start the new year off by skipping class."

"Ah yes, just let me finish looking for Miss Prince's schedule first and I'll get you Bruce's. Excited for senior year, Bruce?"

I barely hear the sullen reply of 'sure'. Turning around I see him. I laugh realizing this goth kid was the one being referred to as 'Master'. He's only a couple of inches taller than my own six feet. Those outrageous Tripp pants cover his legs, black with yellow accents. A black tee shirt covers long fishnet sleeves and his black hair skims across his forehead, almost hiding his blue eyes. He's cute in that bad boy way. Not that I'm familiar with that. Themyscira was an all girl school. I just know what I've read in books.

Miss Candy jumps up waving two papers into the air as a loud buzzing sound fills the air. It's eight o'clock and I'm late for my first day. Hurray.

"Here Miss Prince, Mr. Wayne. Looks like you both have history with Fields for first block. You two had better skedaddle! Alfred, I have paperwork for you to fill out before you leave." She winks at the older man standing behind Bruce that I had barely noticed. Bruce rolls his eyes and gestures for me to follow him.

I have no idea how to talk to him. He's intimidating. We walk silently down the hall and turn into a classroom on the left side of the hall.

"Mr. Wayne, Miss Prince, how nice of you to join us." The tall thin man at the head of the class gestures to two open desks at the back of the classroom. "Please, take a seat." I take the seat closest to the window, blushing from embarrassment.

Mr. Fields starts speaking again discussing how he's planning on teaching us world history from World War One to now. I pull a blue notebook out of my bag and start doodling. I had been in honors History back home so this class was gonna be a breeze.

The class ended and a couple girls introduced themselves, a redhead named Barbara ('Call me Babs') and a blonde who had moved here last year with her cousin named Kara. Kara and I had our next class together and as we left I barely noticed Bruce sneak past me. I wanted to say thank you for helping me find class but he was already long gone.


	2. Chapter 2-Lunchtime

The day seemed to slowly march along. Kara seemed to share most classes with me which was helpful. I kept my eyes out for Bruce, determined to thank him. Fate would have it I didn't see him again until lunch.

"-And so Babs and Dick totally broke up after Kori moved here. She's been heartbroken ever since even if she doesn't show it. That Kori is nothing but-

"Kara, it's rude to gossip. Not to mention Kori is sweet. She can't help it her boyfriend is a world class jerk." The redhead wrapped her arms around Kara's shoulders and jumped into the lunch line with us. "Anyway, I'm sure Di here doesn't want to know all the gossip of Gotham."

"No, it's totally interesting." I reply. It really was. Themyscira hadn't had this much drama. "I went to an all girls school up until recently and this is all new. Not saying we didn't have relationships and love triangles, but boys being involved is different."

"All. Girls. School." Kara's voice dripped disapproval. "You poor dear. Oh my God, I should totally introduce you to Clark! He so needs a girlfriend."

"Except for the fact our girl Di here seems to have a brain, according to her transcripts. And while your cousin is a total sweetheart and attractive as I'll get out, he is not the brightest crayon in the box." Barbara's green eyes sparkled as she laughed a little. "Too much brawn, not enough brain, get what I'm saying?"

"Totally." We grabbed trays of the most bland looking food and made our way to one of the long rows of tables. Sitting down I started to look at everyone. I noticed him sitting by himself in the furthest corner of the room. His tray seemed untouched, an open notebook in front of him, pencil in hand. Barbara noticed me staring.

"Oh no. No no no no. Get that thought out of your head now, Diana. I've known Bruce forever. He is not the dating type. In fact, he's not even the people type. Not anymore." She pursed her lips at the thought and refused to say anymore.

I look away, intrigued by the thought of him. People have always interested me, probably part of being my mother's daughter. Mother spent a lot of time traveling, teaching other countries the message and lifestyle we strived for on Paradise Island, strenghting our ties to other countries. It's why I had gone to Themyscira Academy before now. It was the pretegious all girls boarding school on our island and one of the prides of our country. But when I told my mom about my after school plans of following in her career path I wound up here to learn more about American schools and culture while she strengthened ties between our home and Gotham City. She had spent the last year in Metropolis and seemed glad for the change.

I was so busy thinking that I almost didn't notice another person sit down next to me. Almost.

"Clark! There you are! I was wondering why I hadn't seen my favorite cousin today!" Kara bubbled over, her long blonde hair bouncing as she hugged our new lunchmate.

Well, I know what Barbara meant by all brawn now because this had to be the most muscle bound boy I have ever seen. His open blue short sleeved plaid shirt hugged his biceps, his red undershirt clung to his very attractive chest. Glasses covered his sparkling blue eyes and he has gloriously thick black hair. I'm almost jealous.

"Hey little cuz! I wanted to say hi, introduce myself to your new friend. Diana, right? News travels fast." He laughs, a great booming laugh. I can't help but smile. "I'm Clark. Clark Kent."

"Diana Prince." I wave slightly, feeling shy. He's so friendly and I'm not sure how to handle it. I'm good at interacting with other girls but boys...well it's a work in progress. I sit back and listen to him and Kara talk about football. Apparently that's a different sport than what I'm thinking of, which is called soccer here. Clark plays as runningback for the Gotham Bats, although he used to play for the Smallville Stars before he and Kara moved here. I pretend to know what all that means and am glad when lunch ends and I can walk off to find my next class, gym.

 _A/N: Thanks for reading so far! This stems from an idea my fiance and I were talking about recently that wouldn't leave me alone. High school was a while ago for me so it's been fun revisiting the idea now. I promise I plan on updating this more soon but it's slow going at the moment. Just please be paitent and thank you all soooo much for the reviews_!


	3. Chapter 3-Save The Drama For Your Mama

Drama.

I was not looking forward to Drama. But Mom swore it would be good for developing diplomacy skills and I had enjoyed it somewhat at Themyscira. Themyscira however had all the girls I had grown up with and this was a class of strangers. I steeled myself and walked into the classroom.

Unfortunately I only saw one familiar face in the large room and it was that of Bruce Wayne. He was sitting at the top of a set of black wooden bleachers that served in place of chairs, headphones in and eyes closed as his mouth moved silently. I still hadn't been able to say thank you like I had wanted all day so I took a seat on the row below him. Looking around the classroom I noticed there wasn't a lot of people. Off in one corner sat a boy in a green and purple hoodie, a blonde girl clad in black jeans and a red tank top on his lap. They looked rather preoccupied with each other. A larger group sat near me talking loudly about pizza. They looked like they were having fun, two girls and three boys. One of the girls was extremely tall, even to me. She had the most glorious red hair and green eyes plus a smile to die for. Her boyfriend was a shorter spiky haired boy with his arms around her waist. The other two boys were arguing over which was better, bacon or veggie pizza. Personally I liked bacon and agreed with the taller of the toy, a striking black boy in great physical strength. The other boy seemed to bounce off the walls with energy, trying to drag the other girl, a short Goth girl with black hair into the argument. She just rolled her eyes at him.

"Joey, Harley, if you could please disengage yourself long enough to join the rest of us it would be massively appreciated." I heard an accented, commanding voice say. "After all, we

have a new student and I doubt she wants to be exposed to your antics."

"Not all she would be exposed to," I heard the short black haired girl murmur darkly.

I looked up at the teacher who had just entered the room. He was small and dark haired but his presence seemed everywhere.

"My name is Mr. Zatana but you can call me Mr. Z. What is your name Miss...?" He had a charming smile as he looked at me.

"Diana. Diana Prince."

"Well welcome, Diana. I think you'll fit in with our ragtag class of actors quite well. In the back corner we have Joey Kerr and Harleen Quinzel, although she likes to go by Harley." The blonde girl waved at me frantically, a wide grin on her face. "And here we have Gar Logan, Victor Stone, and Rachel "call me Raven" Roth." He gestures to the blond energy ball, the black boy who grins a cocky grin, and the Goth. "This other lovely couple is Kori Anders and Dick Greyson."

Ahh, Barbara's Dick. Well, that's interesting. He was pretty cute but had an egotistical air that was obvious. I wave at them, hoping to become their friends.

"And-" Mr. Z gestures behind me "That broody mess is Bruce Wayne." I turn and make eye contact with him. He smiles slightly and nods. "These kids are gonna be your stage family for the next year. So let's start off with some improv games."

I pick up on the games fast, enjoying them. Obviously this group has worked together before and I'm glad I can slip into their ways. Raven has a biting sense of humor that reminds me of my friends back at Themyscira, while Harley and Joey seem to seamless know how to make everyone laugh the loudest. Even Bruce seems to relax and enjoy the class, cracking everyone up doing a deep voiced impression of a popular vampire hero.

"We've all been in drama class together since freshman year," Victor tells me later when I compliment how well everyone plays off each other. "Although it is nice to see a new face."

Mr. Z gives us our first homework assignment of the day, tells us to each pick out a two minute scene from our favorite movie or play to talk about tomorrow as the final bell rings. I corner Bruce before he leaves the classroom.

"Hey, Bruce, can we talk?"

"I guess we have to. You're blocking the only door, Princess." He says sarcastically as I stand in front of him. His eyes sparkle as I feel myself grow angry.

"What did you call me?" I say slowly.

"Princess. After all, everyone as been bowing at your feet all day. You've become popular already." He smiles then and I feel my heart flutter. "Don't take it as an insult. I mean it as a compliment, really. What do you need?"

"I-I just wanted to say thank you. For showing me to class this morning." Mighty Aphrodite, I am tongue tied.

"Well we were going the same way so...it's no big. I'm glad to have helped. I'll see you tomorrow." He pushes past me slightly and I watch him walk away, curious about him.

 _A/N: Thank you for being patient with this chapter! It's been a rough few days (teething baby) and I haven't had much time to sit down and write. Thank you guys for all the encoragment! It makes my day to know someone out there likes this._


	4. Chapter 4-A Bet Is Made

The first week went by in a blur of faces and names. Barbara was my lifesaver when I forgot anyone. She always told me to forget it when I told her thank you, she was just good at remembering.

Drama easily became my favorite class. Mostly because of Kori, actually. She was a transfer student like myself and introduced me to a few others like us. Also we both understand what it's like being taller than everyone else. I'm shorter than her, only six feet, but she is six foot five and built like a supermodel.

The start of week two however, things changed. Mr. Z decided it was time to pair up for our first scenes. And he had assigned groups in mind.

"So I know you're all going to hate this, but assigned groups. Too many of you always pair up with the same people for the same type of scene and we need to branch out. So Joey and Gar, Kori and Raven, Vic and Harley, Diana and Bruce. You're all paired up. Dick since you're odd man out you can choose any group but Kori's you want. I expect a five to seven minute scene. Don't worry about costumes and all that since it's the first scene of the year and this is to get us back into the swing of things. Scripts are on the bookshelf, show me what you choose so I can copy it off. Now go start work."

I blushed as Bruce slide down the bleachers to sit next to me. " _Oh Hera, his eyes_ ," I think to myself as he looks at me.

"Hey Princess. Any ideas for this?" He smirks at me slightly and runs a hand through his dark hair. He's dressed more relaxed today than the first day, wearing a black band tee and blue jeans. "Personally I love a good fight scene but I assume you want something romantic."

"Why would you assume that?" My voice is high even to my own ears.

"Well," his cheeks are flushed and he's embarrassed enough to look away. "Most girls are obsessed with romance so I just-"

"First things first, Bruce Wayne. I am not 'most girls'." I stand up to walk off and grab scripts. "Secondly, I could take your ass in a fight scene any day."

"Princess. Diana. I didn't mean anything by it. Don't take it seriously. I can do whatever scene you want, okay?" I turn to see him right behind me. I'm still angry but it's lessening the more he fumbles for an apology.

"You guys should do Shakespeare." Gar interrupts us. " Do 'Taming of the Shrew'. It would be nice to see the prince of darkness here rock some comedy."

"I don't think he can do it. Brucie here isn't a funny man like you or moi." Joey slings an arm over Bruce's shoulder. Bruce tenses up. "In fact, I'll make a bet with you. You pull this off and make us laugh, we'll preform whatever emo ass play you want this year. You fail and you do only romance the rest of the year."

The testosterone practically ripples in the air as I roll my eyes. Bruce curtly nods at the boys and looks at me.

"Fine. I haven't read that play anyway." I say, feeling like we've been backed into a corner. Still better than any ideas I had so far. We find the copy of the script to Mr. Z and he makes us a copy of what he thinks the best scene could be.

"I hate that guy." Bruce mumbles as we sit down. "He's always coming up with crappy jokes like this just to piss me off."

"Why do you let him get to you?" I watch his face grow sad.

"Because sometimes it's better than being lonely. Now let's read through this. We've got work to do."

 _A/N: Sorry for the lack of update! My oldest kid's birthday is coming up and we've all been sick so I've had my hands full. Hope you enjoy sticking around. It's a slow going fic but I have a lot of plans in store ahead and ways to introduce more characters. Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5-Football and Girl Talk

"Diana! Can I speak to you for a few minutes?"

I whirl around to see a petite dark haired girl running up to me. The final bell of the day had rung and I was just about to walk to my car but decided to wait anyway. Her hair streamed in a ponytail behind her and her messenger bag flopped as she started to talk as she approached.

"My name's Lois, Lois Lane. I'm the student editor of the school paper, 'The Gotham Record' and wondered if I could do an interview?" She cocked her head to the side as she stopped and grinned. "Each issue this year is going to have a small section on each of the graduating seniors and your name was on my list."

"Sure. No problem." I sat down on the trunk of my car (a beautiful red Camero) and she pulled a pencil out of her ponytail and took her notebook out of her bag.

"So Diana, as a new student here at Gotham what do you think so far?"

"Well, everyone has been very welcoming and friendly. The school is much bigger than the one I'm used to back home so that's been a shocker but everyone I've met has made it easy to adjust." I zip up my red hoodie as a breeze blows making me shiver.

"What do you plan on doing after graduation?" she asks crisply after she finishes jotting down my answer. Her eyes are so focused on the paper that she almost gets hit with a flying ball in the air.

"Head's up!" A voice yells as I pull her out of the way. The football hits the back of my car and I feel myself grow angry.

"Hey, you almost hit us!" I yell at the idiot running to my car. Crap. It's Kara's cousin Clark. Lois tenses up next to me.

"Ah Smallville. Great aim as usual I see." She snaps at him. He blushes as he grabs the ball off the ground where it finally landed. "It's skills like that that prove why you're not quarterback."

"Hey Lois. Diana. I'm really sorry. Hal, Barry, and I were just fooling around before the game tonight. You two ought to come."

"You know I already plan on being there, Smallville. Jimmy's running a story on the team and wants my advice. We talked about that in Journalism earlier. What about you, Diana? We could finish our interview before the game starts."

I blush, embarrassed. I had never been to a football game before and had no idea how to say that I'd rather swallow a hundred snakes than watch idiots throw a ball all night.

"Sure. I'll totally be there." I saw, faking a chipper voice. _Good going, Diana._ _That's saying no._

So we all parted ways and I headed home.

"Mooooooooom!" I yell as I walk into the door to our small home. She peeks her head out of the master bathroom as I go into her room and collapse on her bed. "I did something stupid."

"My daughter? No, surely not." her voice held a bit of a laugh. "What's wrong, my daughter?" She walked in the room and sat down next to me. The smell of her perfume was comforting as I breathed it in.

"I said I was going to go to the school football game tonight. But football...well...I hate it. I'd rather watch any other sport on the planet. But I told Lois and Clark I'd be there and so..."

"So you have to go." Mom pulled me up to sit next to her. "It'll be fun, Di. It's a normal high school thing. You might actually love it. Much more exciting than the dinner I have to be at I'm sure."

She hugged me and walked over to her closet to grab her purse.

"It will be fine Diana. Here's $20. That should cover admission and food."

So with that I walked off to fix my hair and head back out. The game was to start at six and with traffic I'd need to leave to get back to the school no later than five thirty.

The football field was already packed by the time I arrived. The smell of popcorn and hot dogs filled the air and I was thankful I had kept my hoodie on.

"Diana! Ah it's so nice to see you!" I turned to see Kori and Raven standing behind me in the admissions line. "I am so glad you came to watch the football with us."

"Dick plays on the team. She drags me to all the home games with her." Raven rolls her eyes but smiles softly. They were really close friends. It made me homesick for my friends at Themyscira. "You can sit with us if you want."

"Sure!" I'm excited to be invited. I pay the three dollars admission and get my hand stamped to go into the game. The stamp is of a little purple bat. I'm not surprised. We take our seats at the top of the bleachers after buying snacks and wait for the game to start. Barbara and Kara join us on the cold metal seats as the buzzer blows to start the game.

"Diana! I didn't expect for you to be here!" Kara says excitedly. "Clark told me he saw you today and you said you'd be here but still!" She was wearing a Gotham football hoodie and had the number 54 written on her cheeks in face paint. "I come to all these for Clark. He's on the team, you know?"

"We know, Kara. You brag about it constantly." Barbara laughs. "You planning on coming to homecoming next week Diana?"

"Umm. Well." I look at her confused. Holy Hera, what is homecoming? We didn't have that back home.

"Oh my geez you don't know what homecoming is?! It's only the biggest football game of the year. And there's a dance afterwards and a boy and a girl from the senior class get nominated for king and queen-"

"It's pretty dumb," Raven says interrupting. "But we all go anyway."

"Yes, it is all the fun. Plus we get to dress up and take dates." Kori looks at the field all dreamy eyed and Barbara looks away. I can see the hurt on her face at the thought of Dick and Kori together. I touch her shoulder softly.

"You have anyone in mind to ask, Diana?" I hear Lois interrupt our group. "Off the record, of course." An image of Bruce jumps into my head. We've been working on our drama scene all week and I feel myself falling deeper for him.

"Nope. No one in mind at all." I say, hoping they don't pick up on the lie. In my mind I see his blue eyes look into mine and I lie to myself again. _No one in mind at all._


	6. Chapter 6-Does This Count As A Date?

Halftime rolled around and we were in the lead 21-7. The other girls walked off to the bathrooms and I decided to stay to save our seats. The wind blew, chilling me through.

"Cold tonight, Princess?" His voice teased and I turned to see Bruce sitting towards my right in the top bleacher corner. His lips were turned up into a smirk, his jacket hood pulled up and almost covering his eyes. I knew they would be sparkling though.

"Obviously. I'm not used to this weather. More of a tropical climate type of girl. What are you doing here? I didn't think organized sports would be your type of thing.?"

"My brother's on the team. You know Dick in Drama, right?"

"He's your brother?" I'm shocked no one's mentioned it to me.

"Well, foster brother. Alfred, my foster dad, took him in when his parents died. He's been living with us for a few years. Alfred always drags me along to the games." Bruce looks down the bleachers and points to an older man sitting at the bottom. I recognize him from my first day.

"Bruce! I'm so glad to see you!" Babs shouts as her and the other girls stomp their way up the bleachers. "Alfred still dragging you to these?"

"You know it." He shoves his hood back and rolls his eyes. I must look like a moron, the way I keep staring at him. I've never had a crush like this before and Hera knows I've had my fair share of crushes. His eyes meet mine and I look away, feeling my cheeks grow hot. Hopefully they think the red is caused by the breeze blowing on us.

"Wanna walk with me to the concessions, Princess? I'll buy you something to eat." He stands up and offers me his hand. The others stare at us wide eyed. Babs gives me a thumbs up behind Bruce's back.

"Sure." I take his hand. It's warm and strong as his fingers intertwine with my own. Can he feel my pulse like I can feel his? Can he tell how fast my heart is beating?

"So. You ever been to a football game before?" He asks as we reach the bottom of the bleachers and he let's go of my hand. I feel colder without it.

"Nope. First time. Not a big football fan. But I told Lois and Clark I'd go, so here I am." His face darkens at Clark's name. Almost like he's jealous. "But I am having fun. The girls are great to talk to. Reminds me of home."

"Well in honor of your first football game, we're getting nachos. What kind of soda do you like?"

"Dr. Pepper. Please." He grins as I say please. Damn. Damn. Damn. A full on smile from Bruce Wayne is devastating. I watch as he orders our food and wonder what is going on here. In class we only talk about our scene together or run dialogue. This is leaps and bounds away from what I'm used to with him.

"No, this way." He says as I start to walk towards the bleachers. "I mean, unless you want to go back to watching the game."

"No, it's fine. Where are we going?" He just smiles and walks. We end up on an old flight of concrete stairs that go into the gym. It's quiet here.

"These used to go into the band room before they expanded the auditorium. I figured maybe we could talk. Without everyone around, I mean." He shoves a cheese covered chip into his mouth and I follow suite.

"Oh my goddess, this is amazing!" I say as I load up another chip. He stares at me. "What?"

"Never had nachos before?" I roll my eyes at his question.

"I have. I'm not a complete moron. Just not ones that taste this good. I'm used to shredded cheese, not cheese sauce." I stick out my tongue at him and he scowls. The wind blows again, harder than before and I hate that this hoodie is super thin. Damn girls clothes.

"Here, Princess." He unzips his jacket and drapes it over my shoulders. "I'm used to the cold. Rather you not freeze out here."

"I hate it when you call me that," I say pushing my arms through the sleeves. "You sound like you're making fun of me."

"Well, I'm not. You just remind me of a princess. More regal than us commoners on the ground. You act different. I can't figure you out."

"Have you been trying?" Now he's the one looking embarrassed. His black shirt clings to his body and I see how muscular his body is. He usually tries to hide behind black hoodies. He pushes back his hair and looks into my eyes.

My heart, dumb as it sounds, skips a beat. His gaze is so intense, his face serious.

"I like to figure out mysteries, Diana. And right now you're the biggest one I know."

"There's nothing to figure out. I'm just Diana." I look away. His hand touches my cheek and turns me to face him. He's so close to me now. my breath catches in my chest.

"You're so much more. So much more."

His lips stop a breath away from mine. I move that last crucial inch and we're kissing. We're kissing and I'm gone for him. He tastes like nachos and Dr. Pepper and something that is just him. All I want is more. We finally stop kissing to breath.

"Homecoming. Go with me, Princess." He says, the words whispered against my lips.

"Yes. Yes, I'll go with you."


	7. Chapter 7- Homecoming

I feel like the rest of the night passes in a dreamy haze. We sit there under the stars, stealing kisses and spilling secrets. Bruce's fingers are intertwined in my own, warm and strong. At the end of the game he walks me to my car, leaving me with one last kiss and a promise to text me later.

Getting home, I find my mother waiting up for me. Her blue eyes sparkle with warmth and I felt my smile deepen.

"Oh Mom, this was the best night! You were right about going. The girls and I had so much fun. And Bruce-"

"Bruce?" Her voice sharpens as she speaks his name. "Who's Bruce, Diana?" I look at her to see her face is now in a forced smile, her forehead wrinkled in what I know is displeasure. I should stop while I'm ahead. Yet I tell my mother everything. She's my number one confidant.

"Bruce. Bruce Wayne? I'm sure I've told you about him. We have some classes together. He's my partner in Drama right now. We're doing a scene from Taming of the Shrew..." Hera, I'm rambling. "He asked me to Homecoming tonight. He...he kissed me, Mom. and it was like lightning and-"

"HE KISSED YOU?! Diana, I thought we talked about this. You know the rule, no boyfriends. Not until you're out of school."

"You didn't mind when I dated Mala! She and I were together for a little over a year and you said nothing!" My hands shaking, I stand my ground.

"Mala is from a good family, I know her parents. This Bruce, he is a troubled boy, Diana. Everyone in Gotham whispers tales about what happened to the Waynes. There's no way this boy is good for you. End it. You're not going to Homecoming with him and that's final."

My phone buzzes in my pocket as I hastily wipe the tears from my face an go to my bedroom. I know it's Bruce. I know I should tell him I can't go. I've always done what my mother asked of me. But suffering Sappho do I want to see him again. I want to live and now what it's like to date this boy who attracts me so.

Pulling out my phone, I text him back. Then I drop a text to Barbara. If anyone's going to help me pull this off it will be her.

The week passes in a blur. Bruce and I meet up as much as we can between classes. The library is now our favorite haunt. The smell of musty books and his cologne is now my favorite smell. The only witnesses to our hidden kisses are the spines of the hardly read non fiction section.

The girls are helping me get ready for Homecoming. Barbara asked my mother if I could spend the night getting ready at her house, Mom readily Agrees, glad to see me making friends. Kori loaned me one of her dresses and we altered it to fit my shorter frame.

Friday night found all of us girls (Babs, Kara, Kori, Raven, Lois, and myself) crowded into Barbara's tiny bedroom. Mr. Gordon kept us supplied with snacks and sodas while Barbara rolled her eyes at his every intrusion.

"Dad. We're trying to get ready! We don't need anymore Oreos!"

"Says who?" Kara pushes past Barbara in the doorway and grabs the plate our of Mr. Gordon's hands. "I always need more Oreos."

"Of course you do, your metabolism can handle any junk food. However, some of us have to watch what we eat." Lois grabs a cookie as she finishes her sentence, practically inhaling it. "I haven't had sweets all week." Her hair is in curls around her face, makeup half done. Raven pushes her back down on the small bed.

"If you want me to finish your makeup, you'd better sit back down." Raven is an expert with an eyeliner pen, achieving a cat's eye like I could only dream of. I've watched all the YouTube tutorials but it's just never going to happen for me. I'm only slightly jealous.

"Di, did you tell Bruce to bust out the limo?" Barbara asks. Her yellow dress with the asymmetrical skirt goes well with her red hair, the purple sash bringing it together perfectly.

"Hmm?" I adjust my strapless bra as I stand up to walk around. I'm nervous. So, so nervous. My red dress clings to my chest, falling from an empire waist in soft folds to my feet. My hair is down in curls, a small star diadem holding it back from my face. I look good at least, my skin shimmering from the lotion I borrowed, my makeup practically flawless. "Why would I ask him that?"

"Because it's practically wasted sitting in his garage. Why he chooses to drive that old motorcycle he has instead of one of the cars I have no idea." Barbara zips up Kara's pale blue dress and looks back at me. "You wouldn't know he's a billionaire from the way he acts. I'd be all up on the newest tech and cars but he just lets it sit there." My face must register my shock. "Oh my God. You didn't know he was rich did you? Not that it matters, but I'm sure it's a shock."

A knock at the door halts the conversation before it goes any further. It's Mr. Gordon again.

"Bruce is here for you, Diana." He smiles at me softly and my heart melts. I've never known my own father but I could only hope he was as kind as this man.

The girls wave me out of the room and I follow Barbara's dad into the living room. Bruce's back is to me, suit jacket showing off the cut lines of his shoulders, the fitness of his body. He turns and his blue eyes widen with shock.

"Diana. Wow." He says softly. "Princess, you look amazing." I feel a blush creep over my cheeks at his comments.

"Have her back here by midnight, Bruce. She's spending the night with Barbara." Mr. Gordon says, grinning. I don't know if he knows my mother would disapprove, and I wonder if I'm causing him trouble. Bruce just nods at him, smiling as he grabs my hand and walks to the door.

"Oh my goddess." I say as I see the waiting car. It's a new Corvette, black, sleek, and oh so fast looking. I touch it softly as Bruce opens the passenger door. The leather interior feels buttery soft under my fingers and the purr of the engine practically makes me moan. I have a weakness for sports cars.

"So you like it, huh?" Bruce grins at the rapt expression on my face.

"Oh yes. Yes I do. How fast is she?"

"Fast enough. You'll have to come over to my place sometime and I'll show you. Even let you drive." I bite my lip at the thought. Coheed and Cambria plays through the speakers, the familiar opening to "Welcome Home" causing me to tap my fingers. It's only six, the sun just now starting to set. The dance is supposed to start at seven, so we head out to grab something to eat beforehand. We end up settling on burgers and fries.

"Geeze, Princess, I didn't expect you to eat all that!" He laughs as I finish of my double quarter pounder and fries.

"What can I say? I like food." I laugh as he grabs my hand from across the table. I can almost see the spark from his hand to mine.

"Brucie baby! There you are!" I turn at the annoying voice to see a blonde girl standing behind us, one of the football players at her side.

"Vickie." He says curtly, his hand tightening on mine. "What is it? Need another rumor about me for your gossip column?" I realize this must be Vickie Vale, Lois' rival at the paper. And, as Bruce told me earlier this week, his ex girlfriend. He said they had a nasty breakup, but no more than that.

"I just was hoping to catch up. Who's this?" She says, gestering at me. "My replacement? She's nothing like me."

"The name's Diana, if you don't mind." I say standing up. I tower over her. "And you only wish you were anything like me." Bruce stands up with me and we walk back to the car, leaving her jaw dropped in our wake.

The music is pounding and lights are flashing as we walk into the gym for Homecoming. The girls have already made it and wave at me from a distance. Raven and Kori had changed, Kori into a skintight strapless purple dress with a pencil skirt, Raven into a floor length black number with long lace sleeves. Clark and Lois seemed to be already bickering in the corner, the blue sequins on her dress sparking under the lights.

The night passes in a blur. I spend the whole time dancing in Bruce's arms. It feels eternal and too fast all at once. There's not enough rock music for my tastes but it's still fun to dance. After a couple of hours, I excuse myself and walk to the bathroom.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my replacement from earlier." I hear as I'm washing my hands. It's Vickie again. I roll my eyes as she walks up behind me. "You know, he'll never love you."

"Excuse me?" I say sharply, turning to face her. Her vapid eyes widen as she looks up at me.

"He'll never love you. He can't love. Not since his parents were murdered in front of him. He's only using you to pass the time."

Murdered. In front of him. Her words echo in my head. I feel frozen to the floor.

"You sound like a bitter bitch, Vale." Lois comes out of one of the stalls, eyes red and swollen. "You're just the same jealous girl you've always been." She washes her hands and grabs my own, practically dragging me out of the brightly lit room and back into the dark.

"Just ignore her, Di. She's not worth your time." She walks back out before I can say anything, head held high even though I know she must have been crying in that stall.

"Is it true?" I whisper as I walk back to Bruce, who's standing off to the side against the cool brick wall.

"What?" He stares at me blankly.

"I ran into Vickie in the bathroom. She told me about your parents. Is it true?" The words spill out of me, I can't stop them. His eyes look at me, hurt flashing.

"Let's get out of here, Princess. I want to have this conversation somewhere else." And with that I know our dance (and our night) is over.

 _A/N: Happy holidays, all! I hope this last chapter was worth the wait. Thanks for sticking around and still reading. I wish you all the best in the upcoming new year!_


	8. Chapter 8-Beautiful Broken Boy

The roads were clear as we pulled out of the parking lot. The motor purred, the only sound in the silent car as Bruce drove us out of town, leaving the bright lights behind us.

The roads curved and dipped, only illuminated from the headlights and the pale light of the stars. I don't know how long we drove, only that we stopped in front of a large dark house.

"This is my home. Alfred should be asleep. He's my butler and my foster dad. Dick should still be at homecoming. I don't see his car anyway." Bruce stared straight ahead, never once looking in my direction. "Anyway, you want to come inside?"

"Sure." I follow him out of the car and we enter an ornate set of double front doors. We go up a large flight of stairs to another set of doors.

"This is my room." He opens the door and I stare in awe. The room is beautiful, a lovely grey color on the walls. Taped up pieces of art decorate the walls, some color, some just black and white graphite sketches. A dark Cherry stained desk looks out of a large set of windows. A large matching bed is against the opposite wall, messily covered in grey and black blankets. A large TV hangs on the wall with a state of the art stereo underneath. "Just...make yourself comfortable."

I sit on the bed, taking my shoes off. He paces the room, pale.

"Look, Diana, I don't know how to talk about this. Honestly I don't know how you didn't ask before now. Usually new students learn about my family first thing. I swear it's in the damn handbook. 'Welcome to Gotham, here's a map, classes start at eight, Bruce Wayne watched his parents die, enjoy your stay." He looks at me then with his haunted eyes. "The last girl I dated assumed I broke up with her because of trauma from my parents. Really it was because I caught her screwing another guy. But it didn't stop her from writing it in the school paper."

"Bruce-" I start as he holds up a hand.

"Diana, please? Just let me do this however. Anyway...I was eight. We were... we were leaving the movies. 'The Mask of Zorro'. I got to pick that night. Father never let me pick. We were walking back to the car when the guy showed up. Guns seem so much bigger in person, do you know that?" I shake my head as he paces faster. His voice is shaking as he continues. "He asked us for money, for Mother's jewelry. She pushed me behind her. She was shaking as she pulled off her wedding ring. Father, he...he tried to move closer to us. He shot him then. Mother she screamed...it was the last sound she made." His hands were trembling and I couldn't sit still any longer.

I got off that bed and wrapped my arms around him. His tears burned hot as they dropped onto my bare shoulders, his hands wrapping around me.

"Hey. Hey, it's okay. I've got you." I rambled words of comfort as his tears fell. Finally he pulled away.

"I don't know if I can love you, Diana. I'm a pretty fucked up guy. But you-you make me believe I could. You make me want to give it a try."

I can't help myself, I lean in and press my lips to his. He tastes of salt on his lips. His hand fists in my curls and we stumble back onto the bed. I feel him straddle my Body and I run my hand up his strong biceps. Kiss upon kiss falls on my lips. I give him as much as he gives me. I feel his hand skim down my waist. I open my eyes as he pulls back from the kiss to see him leaning over me on the bed. His tousled black hair looks so sexy, even in this moment. He bites his lip as he looks at me.

"Bruce. I didn't expect you home so early." Bruce jumps backwards at the sound. I recognize the voice from my first day, as I pull myself into a sitting position. I'm as red as my dress I can feel it. "It's only 11:30."

"Shit! 11:30, Alfred? I have to get Diana back to Commissioner Gordon's place before midnight!" He drags me off the bed and pulls me down the hall. "I'll drive safe, be back soon!"

Bruce only slows down as we reach the car. He pushes me against the door instead of opening it, giving me one last bruising kiss before we drive away, like thieves in the night.


End file.
